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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. firm — steady
  3. game — wild animals
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. craft — a skill
  7. ground — the earth
  8. game — a match
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. court — of a king
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. ground — a position
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. court — for sport
  16. ground — crushed
  17. firm — a company
  18. craft — boats
  19. last — to go on
  20. bat — the animal
  21. firm — decided
  22. court — of law
  23. last — final
  24. last — finally

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com